All-Star reserves announced today

LOS ANGELES — The league’s head coaches have until 8 a.m. today to electronically submit their ballots that will determine the reserves for the All-Star Game.

In all likelihood, Portland power forward LaMarcus Aldridge picked up one vote with his performance against the Spurs on Tuesday night.

The reserves are to be announced during TNT’s telecast of the Heat-Magic game that will precede their airing of tonight’s Spurs-Lakers game.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, while making no commitment to use one of his seven votes in support of Aldridge, sounded like a voter who had been swayed by the “campaign” Aldridge waged Tuesday in the Trail Blazers’ 99-86 victory over the Spurs at the Rose Garden.

“He’s had a great year,” Popovich said afterwards. “He’s stepped up with all the injuries they’ve had and answered the call quite admirably.”

The coaches are required to vote for at least one center, two guards and two forwards. Their remaining three votes may be cast for players at any position.

Popovich and the rest of the West’s head coaches face a dilemma narrowing a field of vote-worthy forwards that includes former MVPs Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki, plus Aldridge, the Lakers’ Pau Gasol, sensational rookie Blake Griffin and Minnesota’s Kevin Love, on pace to be the NBA’s most prolific rebounder since Dennis Rodman averaged 16.0 for the 1997-98 Bulls.

“There are a lot of deserving candidates, and there are going to be some disappointments,” said Popovich, prohibited from voting for any of his players. “There always are.”

Duncan was unequivocal in throwing his support behind Aldridge’s candidacy.

“Absolutely, I’d vote for him,” said Duncan, one of three Spurs who may end up in the Feb. 20 game, scheduled for Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Duncan previously stated that if he had a say in determining the All-Star reserves, he would not vote for himself. He has made 11 straight All-Star appearances, voted into the starting lineup for each. He was named a reserve in 1998, his rookie season. There was no All-Star Game in the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season.

TALE OF TWO HALVES: Starting center DeJuan Blair appeared on his way to a monster game on Tuesday, scoring 14 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in the first half as the Spurs took a 52-47 lead into intermission.

Blair was nearly non-existent in the second half. In eight minutes and 19 seconds, he did not attempt a shot and had only one rebound.

BONNER STILL DOUBTFUL: The Spurs canceled a practice session that had been planned for Wednesday morning in Portland. Reserve center-forward Matt Bonner will have to wait until the team’s shootaround this morning to determine if the pain in his right knee will allow him to return to action after missing the last eight games.